Carolyn Tillie

I found it! Remouillage is a word that translates "rewetting". According to the CIA's instructional manual, "some chefs argue that, if the first stock was made properly and simmered for the correct amount of time, there will be little if anything left in the bones to provide either flavor or body in the remouillage. Others feel that this second generation of stock can be used as the basis for other broths or as the cooking liquid for braises and stews. The food being prepared will provide the majority of the flavor in the finished sauce, and a firstrate stock can be reserved for use in dishes where its role is more significant." Hope that helps.

By all means start small if that is what you can do! Don't let yourself be limited by what you don't have, but start and learn with what you DO have. And yes, you are right, I think backs are more than sufficient (if not perfect). BTW, I purchased a number of 10- 12- 16- and 18-quart pans (together) on eBay for about $4.00 each. Yeah, they are not the perfect, All-Clad variety, but there are bargains to be had out there and worth the investment. Also, if you have an decent Chinese market in your neighborhood, I have found some substantially sized pots in those stores (great for steaming because they have a steaming tray that sits on a ledge about three inches from the bottom of the pan). Good luck!

All those questions -- and more -- will be covered in the sauce-making section. I would ask that you re-post those questions in that section when it gets started on Monday. Quickly, however, that "breaking" of a sauce is the butter going out of emulsion and can often happen by having too little or too much heat. The general fix is to add more liquid and bring them all to the same temperature. You mentioned it exactly, "letting the pan cool." It is a differentiation in temperature and as you become increasingly more aware of when a sauce DOES break versus when it does not, you will notice the heat at which you are working. Carolyn is right -- it is possible to learn the signs, and to gauge the temperature of your mixture; this is simply a matter of sufficient experience and careful observation. But to be specific, if you keep your emulsion between 100 F and 130 F, you'll be able to whisk in all the butter you want. Literally. edit: sorry if I stepped on any toes, Carolyn. I promise to sit in the back of the room and be quiet from now on. Gads, No! I appreciate it, especially since I never remember specific like temperature! It is all about feel for me and any comments you care to make will be most welcome...

As I indicated before, FG is travelling today so I'll be anxious to await his response to this. It surprised me as well... There have been occasions when I boil a chicken to get the chicken meat, but I have rarely found the subsequent meat flavorful enough to warrant eating (I will use it to make cat food). Regarding the use of carcasses, I have been scouring my books for the French term of this procedure. It has something to do with "twice cooked" but I can't recall the exact term. I also enjoy making stock from a cooked bird and will, in fact, sometimes put the carcass back into the oven to roast the bones even further for a deeper, richer, roasted poultry stock. In fact, I will ALWAYS save my bones from any duck I buy and cook as there is nothing better than ROASTED duck stock.

I think your procedure is just fine. In Fat Guy's course, he shows the stock-making procedure with full chickens but as I just mentioned, I don't believe that the added meat really adds that much flavor (there might be quite a discussion on this one). Like you, I save bones and rarely use meat in my stock-making. Also, I do hack the bones in half to get out the gelatine within the bones. Maybe something in my genetics makes me do that...

I am a firm believer in a difference between chicken and duck stocks (and demi-glace) and still make both myself. I do not believe that meat adds much flavor at all in stocks. In the book Ruhlman's book Making of a Chef (I believe), it is Thomas Keller who discusses boiling the bones several times to remove meat and blood to get a clearer stock. There is considerable fat in that meat and I believe the "complexity and richness" you are perceiving is in the fat (remember, a well-marbled steak is more flavorful than a lean one). I do not believe that flavor is lost in the strain at all -- much of what remains in the strained 'muck' is now flavorless. With proper stock-making, the flavor should be in the broth, not in the remnants. The next time you make stock, take a piece of your mirepoix (a carrot, for example), and take a bite out of it. It should be quite flavorless. I don't think that not straining through cheesecloth make you a sinner, per se, but I would reconsider it. Do an experiment! Take a cup of cheesecloth-strained stock and non-cheesecloth strained stock. Reduce it to a demi-glace and taste it. I might be wrong...

All those questions -- and more -- will be covered in the sauce-making section. I would ask that you re-post those questions in that section when it gets started on Monday. Quickly, however, that "breaking" of a sauce is the butter going out of emulsion and can often happen by having too little or too much heat. The general fix is to add more liquid and bring them all to the same temperature. You mentioned it exactly, "letting the pan cool." It is a differentiation in temperature and as you become increasingly more aware of when a sauce DOES break versus when it does not, you will notice the heat at which you are working.

FG is travelling today so I am fielding comments today on this... He will probably weigh-in (no pun intended) and possibly have different thoughts than mine but... Yes, we both have commented on the use of tomato paste in brown sauces and, coincidentally, WE BOTH USE IT! Fat Guy had a different method than mine (he puts it in directly, I use the paste to paint the bones during their browning). I am very curious why there would be such opposition to tomato paste and would be curious for further discussion as to why not to use it.

I did a search for the comment and only found Craig Camp's discussion about Italian broth cubes and his lament for not having canned broths. I believe a general distinction is that "broth" tends to be flavored with potential aromatics (herbs, salt, etc). One can drink or have a bowl of broth. Stocks tend to be the basis from which broth is made -- entirely salt- and herb-free.

Can I suggest you reiterate your question? It is not entirely clear what you are looking for...

It was entitled, "A Lamb to the Slaughter" and was based on a short story by Willie Wonka-writer, Roald Dahl. It starred Barbara Bel Geddes and is hands-down my favorite Hitchcock episode.

I adore that flick... (although for being a film about the greatest foodie of all time, it should have been more sumptious in the food department).

Mario exclusively uses one of my company's products, DaVero (one of our selling points, apparently). The info on DaVero is thus: "Located in the sloping hillsides of California's Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County sits 4,500 olive trees on over 20 acres first planted in 1990 by owner Ridgely Evers, a high-tech executive who created QuickBooks... His search for great olive oil trees led him to a 350-year-old Tuscan farm in Italy near gently rolling hills surrounding Lucca in the village of Segromigno in Monte. The oil he tasted from this estate was rich, fruity and flavorful, with a delicate bouquet, reflecting the coastal Mediterranean inflluences of the region. With the search complete, Ridgely was able to convince the owner of the farm to allow him to take cuttings from the four varietals (Frantoio, Leccino, Maurino, and Pendolino) in exact proportion to what was planted in Tuscany. After a year spent in quarantine and their travels to Sonoma County, the trees were planted on the Dry Creek Valley property." And thank you, Jim -- you explained the problems with the EU, IOOC, COOC, and labelling perfectly!

I have a new job with the president of the California Olive Oil Council. In the past two weeks, I have learned that cooking Olive Oils (ones you would heat up) are remarkably different from those one would use in a salad or as a finishing oil. Having now gotten involved in tasting oils, I could hardly believe what a remarkable difference there can be! Having just finished reading Mort Rosenblum's book "Olive, the Noble Fruit" plus I have been reading numerous of articles and media via the International Olive Oil Council (based in Italy) to get a worldwide understanding about the fact that many "Extra Virgin Olive Oils" are mislabled. There are lots of politics involved, but there are a lot of EVOOs on the market today that are "cut" with hazelnut and other oils. "Extra virgin olive oil is obtained from the fruit of the tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions that do not lead to deterioration of the oil. No chemicals or extreme heat may be used during the extraction process. Extra virgin olive oil must pass a wide range of chemical tests, including a maximum acidity, in terms of oleic free fatty acid, of not more than 1 % and a peroxide value of less than 20 meq O2/kg. In addition, it must be judged defect-free with some olive fruitiness, determined through a blind sensory evaluation by a trained tasting panel (such as the COOC's Tasting Panel)." -From the COOC website- I'm afraid I can't make any specific recommendations at this time (as I am still learning), but I would advise anyone and everyone to stay away from "lite," "light," "pure," and "refined" are processed using high heat and chemicals which destroy both flavor and nutritional elements. Please reconsider investing in a higher-quality (i.e., more expensive) oil for your salad dressing. I have been recently and it has made a world of difference!

It is extremely cut and dry (dry being the appropriate word here). Your winery is either 'creatively' using the three tier system to ship to prohibited states or you are potentially facing felony charges in some states. "For extremely indepth reasons" says it all. "For indepth reasons" REALLY means that none of us in the tasting room have been privy to know the exact answer. We speculate two different theories: One - It is the oldest family-owned winery in California and there may be some grandfather laws we are unfamiliar with. Two - The winery is partnering with a second winery that is owned and operated by a "Foundation" (State-owned? we are unsure). This second winery is non-profit and produces less than 2,000 cases a year. Some believe IT has shipping rights that the first, larger winery has tapped into. Do either of those theories seem plausible? We have been assured that we are breaking no laws and I doubt a large winery would jeopardize its business in flagrantly promoting its shipping ability ("felonies"?). There are no 'grandfather laws' when it comes to interstate shipment of wine. Everyone is supposed to play under the same rules. I also know of no allowances for non-profit. They obviously have some kind of an arrangement with somebody. Who knows what? Yes in some states it is a felony to ship wine directly to consumers. Okay, today I ASKED!!!! Seems they have an arrangement with Viansa (a Sebstiani family-owned Sonoma winery). The gist of it involves the fact that Viansa is partnered (owns? unknown) with retail outlets all over the country (49 of the 50 states) and these retail stores are allowed to receive shipments of wine from their suppliers. The wine is then re-shipped within each state with various approved shipping vendors. I was told the name of the outlets, but it escapes me. It has nothing to do with grandfather laws, non-profit status, or anything like that... (but see how rumors can get started???)

It is extremely cut and dry (dry being the appropriate word here). Your winery is either 'creatively' using the three tier system to ship to prohibited states or you are potentially facing felony charges in some states. "For extremely indepth reasons" says it all. "For indepth reasons" REALLY means that none of us in the tasting room have been privy to know the exact answer. We speculate two different theories: One - It is the oldest family-owned winery in California and there may be some grandfather laws we are unfamiliar with. Two - The winery is partnering with a second winery that is owned and operated by a "Foundation" (State-owned? we are unsure). This second winery is non-profit and produces less than 2,000 cases a year. Some believe IT has shipping rights that the first, larger winery has tapped into. Do either of those theories seem plausible? We have been assured that we are breaking no laws and I doubt a large winery would jeopardize its business in flagrantly promoting its shipping ability ("felonies"?).

It is far more complicated than you realize. I work on weekends for a Sonoma winery. For extremely indepth reasons (political, business, and moreso), we have the ability to ship to 49 of the 50 states (Utah being the only exempt one). So there is hope, but I believe it is important that the laws regarding who can ship where and to whom and why is not so cut-and-dry and one may believe.

Okay, you have Nobu's in NYC so you probably don't need to eat at Matsuhisa's on La Cienega. You have a Roy Yamaguchi, so you don't need to try his original L.A. restaurant. All this helps. On the other hand, I would't bother eating at the Getty. It is pretty good, but an awful lot of money for whatyou get. For quintessential L.A., I'd consider Gladstones in Malibu for seafood. Incredible ocean view, potential movie star sightings, and great seafood. I would avoid the restaurants at Universal Studios. I believe there is a Gladstones there but the tourist crowds are so horrendous, it is not worth it -- as is most of the establishments there. Eat beforehand or afterwards, but don't spend your money and time there if you can help it. Beverly Hills is lovely (especially for The Beverly Hills Cheese Store!), but again, it tends towards being a tourist trap. Just away from BH are California places like Dan Tana's for steaks. Or, head towards Hollywood for Musso & Franks or Formosa Cafe (again, quintessential California).

We are talking weight vs. volume. 1 pound butter and 1 pound flour to end up with 2 pounds roux. This comes from the CIA's cookbook, page 423. I swear I had some of this stuff in my fridge for a year! The trick with roux is that the method for combining roux with liquid is that the temperatures have to be different - hot liquid/cold roux or cold liquid/hot roux (to prevent lumping!) - it was perfect to be able to chisel off a hunk from the fridge for my soups or sauces.

Pre-made roux. Several years ago, when I was in cooking school, I experimented by making several large batches of roux. I ended up with two or three quarts worth that I put in a good Tupperware in the back of the fridge. It never went bad and it helped as I was more encouraged to whip up fabulous sauces, knowing I could thicken them whenever I wanted with a tablespoon or two of hardened roux.

What are your tastes? There are some so many ends of the spectrum! On one end, there is Pinks - famous hot dogs, dontchaknow. Yeah, and then there is Spago but I have always found it a bit over-rated (and too expensive!). Comparable to Spago is Josie. I mean, L.A. is a place for amazing styles of food, depending on where you are coming from. If you live in an area that doesn't have great Mexican, than you should try some. Same with Sushi...

Well... Melkor notified me that I screwed up! I thought when he pointed out Model Bakery's croissants at the Market that he said those were the same as Thomas Keller's. Apparently Model Bakery is yet another one so I have to amend my report by heading back to Yountville - at another time...

Encouraged by Melkor's discovery of Thomas Keller's new bakery, Model, next to his Bouchon restaurant in Yountville, an unexpected day off seemed the perfect excuse for a Croissant excursion! Now you have to understand some of the distances involved in this journey. I live just outside the valley, a decent 40 miles south from Yountville. But near me (10 miles east), is a town called Vacaville, is a chain grocery store from which I have been obtaining pretty decent Croissant. Napa essentially lies in the middle, a 20-mile or so trip (don't get me wrong - I work in Napa so it is a drive I make every day). It is well known amongst the valley residents (these people include residents of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, Calistoga, Oakville, and Sonoma) that there exist some exceptional artisinal bakeries. Even so, many restaurants and wineries are still known to *import* bread from the Acme Bread Company in Berkeley because it is so good. But already having a penchant for Nugget's Croissants, I arbitrarily decided to include their's in the tasting. Inasmuch, I cheated a bit by purchasing Nugget's Croissant in the evening on Monday, leaving the Tuesday open for valley travel. I would take into account that I knew it would be "day old." At 6:00 a.m., Tuesday morning the 15th, the alarm went off as I dragged myself from bed, wondering why I was subjecting myself to this sort of ordeal, knowing I could sleep in... Ah, the things I won't do in the continuing search for perfect food... By 7:00 a.m., Shawn and I were driving up Jameson Canyon, on the way to the Napa Farmer's Market to meet Melkor (thanks for the suggestion!). It was all too perfect that the market was the same morning as this culinary trial. Before the market, we stopped at Sweetie Pies; 520 Main Street. They have a very impressive display of morning pastries as well as beautiful, after-dinner desserts. Shawn couldn't contain himself and wait for the Croissant challenege and purchased a Cream Cheese Apple Braid ($2.25). Yeah, it was exceptional, as was their latte. Fortunately for us, at the Farmer's Market stop, Melkor informed us that Thomas Keller's bakery, Model, was represented by a large Market bakery display. According to Melkor (and others I have spoken with), Keller's new bakery already has a reputation of not having all their product out and for sale for some time in the morning. I was happy to not have to drive half way up the valley and picked up a Croissant here. After spending a bit too much on other fresh-grown goodies, we shook hands and parted ways with Melkor to continue the pilgrimage of obtaining more flaky hunks of joy. Our next stop was another bakery in downtown Napa that has been a favorite of mine: Sweet Finale Patisserie at 1146 Main Street. Guess what? They are not open on Mondays and Tuesday, hence not part of this experiment. Up around the corner on Third, we stopped at another well-known establishment, ABC - also known as Alexis Baking Company. I was not encouraged by the general diginess of the appearance and moreso by being told by their counterperson that they don't make Croissant. I didn't bother with a picture, but suffice to say their coffers left a great deal to be desired. Our last stop then, was at Vallergas Market. Vallergas is a small chain that exists within Napa (three stores? four? I'm not exactly sure) which provides a nice olive bar, a decent cheese selection, and otherwise all the other groceries one would find at a standard market. Heading home with booty in hand, now on to the tasting: I would like to state that the Croissants were tasted by Shawn and I two different ways. They were all broken in half to observe the layers and interior. We both had an intial, cold taste. Then I toasted half, preferring them a bit warm and slightly refreshed. NUGGET: $1.49 The most golden brown of the four. Ultra butter in taste. Great flake. An exceptional Croissant. MODEL: $2.25 (Thomas Keller's offering) Initial (cold) pasty taste of flour. Great detail in the flake. Nice texture and crunch. SWEETIE PIE: $2.25 Beautiful stair-step to their shape. Great initial butter flavor - no pastiness in the mouth. VALLERGAS: $1.39 Perfectly hideous. It *looked* pretty enough, but had little or no butter flavor and actually SMELLED of bad oil. The recap: It was really a tough call. In order of their butter-flavor content, #1 is Nugget, #2 is Sweetie Pie, #3 is Model, and #4 is Vallergas. (Actually, after we realized how oily Vallergas was, we didn't bother to even toast it for the second round of eating). The final, heads-up winner was Sweetie Pie in Shawn's opinion. All three of the final contenders had exceptional flake and tender, layered interiors. If a really, really buttery flavor is desired, than Nugget is the choice. While tasting several, Nugget's butter flavor actually became a bit too-predominate (although it still might be a winner for me as I liked that it was baked a bit more golden). Could my taste buds have been deceived by an addition of butter flavor in the dough? Hmmm, unknown. Sweetie Pie compared to Model was just plain richer as though they used a better quality butter. Model's had a fabulous flake but was lighter in flavor, like a French horn pastry (I know, same dough). I guess when I want a Croissant, I want it to be rich and I want it warm or toasted. So... for me, now that Napa is much more convenient, I'll be frequenting Sweetie Pie and anxious to try their other pastries. When passing Vacaville, I'll always stop at Nugget. And I am still very anxious to head up to Yountville to try Melkor's suggestion of Model Bakery's Lemon Tart...

Successfully? If so, would you mind laying out the basic strategy and discussing the things that have gone wrong and right? What are some example of wines that were available widely enough for this to make sense? Do people enjoy the exchange, in that they find it significantly more valuable than sharing tasting notes in general? If I may, I believe it is Robin Garr's website that was referred to... It IS successful. While I have never participated in the tasting, I post regularly on that site and enjoy reading the tasting challenge. Take a look: Robin Garr's Wine Lover's Discussion Group - Wine Tasting 101 Forum It is a beautifully-designed site full of informative, pleasant people with unparalleled amounts of information. Interestingly enough, one of Robin's requirements (which I kinda appreciate) -- he asks that people do not make up nom de plumes, but use their real names.

Howzabout a nice mer-lot? Ya' just couldn't leave it alone, couldjya'??? :laugh: How could I? Awwww.... no Mad Dog????